Zachary TaylorÒIf honored by election to the Presidency,Ó Zachary Taylor will remain ÒUncommitted to theprinciples of either partyÓ - All through the beginning of 1848, the Whigs held meetings that acclaimed Taylor as their choice for the partyÕspresidential nomination. They tapped him because his long military record would appeal to northerners, whilehis ownership of slaves would lure southern votes. The potential candidate, though he clearly sympathized withthe Whigs, was not enthused about running.By the spring, however, he had been convinced to accept the nomination that would surely be tendered to himwhen the Whig convention met in June. The Taylor family tradition relates that he reluctantly agreed to acceptthe nomination when convinced it was for the good of the country. In June the Whig convention formalized hisnomination. His campaign did not dwell on the details of matters in controversy, instead stressing that he wouldbe a national rather than a regional president and that principle would prevail over politics.As his biographer, K. Jack Bauer states, ÒTaylor viewed himself as a non-partisan figure attracting support fromall parties.Ó His Democratic opponent, Lewis Cass, favored letting the residents of territories decide for themselveswhether they wanted slavery, which in practice was a pro-southern position. The following campaign statementsets forth TaylorÕs core principles during his presidential campaign.Letter Signed as virtual Whig nominee for president, Baton Rouge, La., March 26, 1848 to Dr. John KearsleyMitchell, a noted Philadelphia physician and chemist who lectured in chemistry from 1833-1838 at the FranklinInstitute and was professor of medicine at the Jefferson Medical College from 1841-1858. He was the father of theeminent physician, S. Weir Mitchell. ÒYour letter of March 7 has been duly received and perused with much pleasure.I avail myself of this acknowledgment to express my sincere thanks for the kindness shown in the terms and views of yourletter. Permit me to add, that I am now, as before so repeatedly avowed, in the hands of the people of the country. If honoredby election to the Presidency I will strive to execute with fidelity the trust reposed in me, uncommitted to the principles ofeither party. But should they cast their votes for another, I shall truly rejoice that one more able than I is charged with theresponsible duties of the Executive Chair. Should I visit Philadelphia, which is at this time a matter of very great improbability,I shall be most happy to remember your very courteous invitation.ÓTaylor kept the campaign promise madehere, and had he lived the Civil War mightwell have been avoided. When he took officein 1849, the issue that was pressing was theextension of slavery into the territories newlyconquered from Mexico. Taylor stronglyopposed the proposed Compromise of 1850,22Page 37which he saw as opening up partisan competition to settle and control the territories, leading the nation into constantagitation and danger (as so it proved).Under his plan, Taylor urged settlers in New Mexico and California to draft constitutions and apply for statehoodimmediately, bypassing the territorial stage altogether. This would save years of further bitter controversyand satisfy opponents of the expansion of slavery, since neither state constitution would be likely to permit thatinstitution, as things stood then. Taylor was a slaveowner committed to defending slavery where it was alreadyestablished and did not outright oppose any expansion of it. Thus, he believed, southerners whose position onslavery was less extreme could be brought along with him, isolating and marginalizing the Òfire-eaters.ÓIn February 1850, Taylor held a stormy conference with extreme southern leaders who threatened secession. Hetold them that if necessary to enforce the laws, he personally would lead the army south and persons Òtaken inrebellion against the Union, he would hang.with less reluctance than he had hanged deserters and spies in Mexico.ÓA few months later he died mysteriously and his successor scrapped his plan and signed the Compromise of [Attributes: Signed Copy]

DE SMET, PIERRE-JEANMISSIONS DE L'OREGON ET VOYAGES AUX MONTAGNES ROCHEUSES AUX SOURCES DE LA COLOMBIE, DE L'ATHABASCA ET DU SASCATSHAWIN, EN 1845-46 Vander Schelden, Gand [i.e., Ghent] 1848 - An Unsurpassable Copy, Unopened in the Original Wraps. 194 x 117 mm (7 5/8 x 4 5/8"). 2 p.l., ix, [iii], [9]-389, [3] pp. First Edition in French. ORIGINAL YELLOW PRINTED PAPER WRAPPERS, UNOPENED. In a modern (slightly soiled and worn) custom-made gilt-titled folding cloth box. With illustrated title page, three folding maps, and 15 plates depicting life among the Indian tribes, as called for. Wagner-Camp 141:2; Howes D-286; Graff 3827; Sabin 82265. Wrappers a little browned and a bit wrinkled at edges, a couple of tiny chips to tail of spine, isolated mild foxing, a couple of tiny marginal tears, but AN EXTRAORDINARILY FINE COPY OF AN EXTREMELY FRAGILE ITEM, obviously never having been read. Belgian-born Jesuit priest Pierre-Jean De Smet (1801-73) wrote this work, which was published in French, English, and Flemish, to raise funds for his missionary work among the Indians of the Pacific Northwest. De Smet came to America in 1821 as a novitiate in the Society of Jesus, and was soon sent to the mission at Florissant, Missouri, near St. Louis. The Jesuits founded several schools there, and it was at one of these that De Smet first met boys from American Indian tribes and began to learn about the languages and culture. He was sent further west when a deputation of Nez Perce and Flathead Indians came to St. Louis to request a visit from a "Black-robe," as they called the dark-cassocked Jesuits. De Smet travelled through the Rocky Mountains and the Northwest, establishing missions and schools. In this work, he gives an account of his journeys in the years 1845-46, when he travelled extensively in the Columbia and Willamette Valleys. De Smet was greatly trusted and admired by the Indian tribes he encountered, and was able to act as a go-between during negotiations, both between hostile tribes and with the federal government. One of his great achievements was winning Sitting Bull's acquiescence to the Treaty of Fort Laramie. According to ANB, "Among Native Americans, De Smet was a trusted friend and in some cases an adopted relative. He saw himself as an advocate for Indians and was critical of their treatment by the government, pointing out white American 'provocations and injustice.' De Smet wrote, 'If our Indians become enraged against the whites, it is because the whites have made them suffer for a long time.'". [Attributes: Soft Cover]

John James Audubon (1785-1851)Plate 57 - American Bison or Buffalo (female) New York: 1845-1848 - John James Audubon (1785-1851) Illustrated plate from Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America New York: 1845-1848 Hand colored lithograph Paper size 27 ¾&#148; x 21 ½&#148; ; 35&#148; x 41&#148; framed In the 1830s, as the final plates were being completed for John James Audubon&#146;s monumental Birds of America series, the artist began to gather material for his second and equally ambitious undertaking. Planning to complete the definitive study of American wildlife, Audubon set out to document the animals of North America, and to present them in a format as impressive and sweeping as that he used for his birds. The result of the artist/naturalist&#146;s years of field research, travel, and seemingly endless study was the Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, the outstanding work on American animals produced in the 19th century. The Quadrupeds, as Audubon envisioned, would complete his record of the animal life of North America. The artist&#146;s enthusiasm at the start of the Quadrupeds was unbounded. In 1840, Audubon wrote to his friend and collaborator John Bachman, &#147;I am growing old, but what of this? My spirits are as enthusiastical as ever, my legs fully able to carry my body for ten years to come Only think of the quadrupeds of America being presented to the World of Science by Audubon and Bachman.&#148; Despite his newly acquired wealth and celebrity, Audubon insisted on executing many of the preparatory drawings and watercolors personally, enlisting a select few to help. The contributors to the project included Bachman, a Lutheran minister who had been the artist&#146;s closest friend and supporter for many years, who wrote all of the descriptions and acted as a scientific editor for the work. Audubon&#146;s two sons, John Woodhouse and Victor, also took critical roles. With his sons, Audubon traveled through the Eastern woodlands, and through Missouri to the Rocky Mountains. Together they collected and drew specimens along the Mississippi, as well as in coastal regions of Florida and the East Coast. As Audubon&#146;s health and eyesight began to fail, the help of John Woodhouse and Victor became increasingly crucial to the Quadrupeds, now a family project. Audubon managed to complete seventy seven drawings before failing health kept him from his work. Before he died in 1851, Audubon&#146;s sons managed to solicit some three hundred subscriptions for the Quadrupeds. Together, the three men, along with John Bachman, produced an unequaled record of American wildlife, matching the great combination of art and science attained in the Birds of America. Like that series, the Quadrupeds are wonderfully animated, superbly rendered, and beautifully printed in large format.

Soltykoff, Prince AlexisLettres sur l'Inde (Voyages dans l'Inde) Amyot, Paris 1848 - Contempory leather over paper boards, 8vo., 3 [lvs], pp. 375. Occasional very light foxing in the margins of some plates only, the paper of five plates a little browned and a stain in the upper margin of one plate, affecting a small part of the plate area as well. The paper on the front board partly bubbling, the extremities worn, especially near the spine, but the binding still very sound with strong joints. Internally overall a very fresh copy of a very rare book. Since 1975 only two copies appeared on auctions. The gilt decorated flat spine divided in five compartments with the title in the second compartment. The book, with its strikingly beautiful plates, was published anonymously under this title. Actually it is the very first edition of "Voyages dans l'inde", though with only 32 plates. Later editions have 36 plates; partly the same - and partly redrawn plates as well as some other scenes. The book contains a map with the author's routes of his two voyages (1841-1843 and 1845-1846) in red and blue plus 32 magnificent duo-tone lithographs after Prince Alexis Soltykoff. These exquisite, impressing lithographs appear here in print for the very first time, depicting people and scenes in such places as New Delhi, Madras, Ceylon, Calcutta, Lahore, the Himalayas and other places. Also there are some extraordinary and impressive night scenes, where the environment is beautifully lit by torches. The plates are lithographed by Cupper, De Rudder, Gerlier, Lehnert, Robineau and Walter. The five lithographs on the slightly browned paper are the five lithographs done by De Rudder. These were printed by Auguste Bry, so he probably used another sort of paper. Two years later he would print a folio edition with these magnificent plates. All the other plates were printed by Lemercier. The map was litographed by delacôdre and printed by Rigo. The book was translated into Russian and published in 1851. Several Paris editions were published in and after that same year, all under the title "Voyages dans l'Inde". A rather mediocre binding and one plate with a marginal stain, but further a sound copy of a very rare book with the exquisite plates in a bright condition. [Attributes: First Edition]

Newman, John Henry]Loss and Gain London: James Burns, 17 Portman Street, Portman Square, 1848 - The first work of prose fiction by the noted theologian, John Henry Newman (1801-1890), whose conversion to Catholicism in 1845 shook the Anglican church. A thinly disguised account of his conversion, Loss and Gain is the most important English religious novel of the nineteenth century and a key document in the history of the Oxford movement. It was widely reprinted and a subtitle was added in the later editions. Newman was made a Cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1879 "Newman himself was in the process of publishing (anonymously) his first novel, Loss and Gain: the Story of a Convert. The book is partly autobiographical . The inconsistencies of the comprehensiveness of the Church of England and of Anglo-Catholicism are amusingly satirized in what are probably the most memorable parts of a novel of which the chief claim to originality lies in the introduction of a new kind of introspective self-questioning into English fiction (see K. Tillotson, Novels of the Eighteen-Forties, 1954). . the most significant Roman Catholic theologian of the nineteenth century, [Newman] has also come to be seen as the most seminal of modern Catholic thinkers" (ONDB). Wolff writes, "it remains extraordinarily significant . Newman's novels . delighted his peers. But unquestionably they were too subtle, too intellectual, too profound, then as now." "By common consent, and in the considered opinion of Gerard Manley Hopkins and James Joyce, Newman was the greatest Victorian master of English prose," writes Anthony Kenny in this week's TLS (30 July 2010), where he reviews a recent biography, Newman's Unquiet Grave by John Cornwell, and considers the projected visit to England by Pope Benedict XVI for "the beatification (a last staging post on the path to sainthood) of John Henry Newman in September". The issues includes a second extensive article by Bernard Manzo, "The test of literature, John Henry Newman's holy imaginings", discussing Cardinal Newman's poems, two novels and essays. Rare First edition. 12mo. 386 pp. Bound without terminal leaf of publisher's ads. Modern half cloth and green marbled boards, retaining an earlier morocco spine label; marbled edges. Name cut from top margin of title page, another removed from title with ink eradicator. Very good copy of a rare book. Sadleir 1825; Wolff 5096 "a very rare book"; Wolff, Gains and Losses, pp. 43-60 [Attributes: Hard Cover]

Armistead, WilsonA Tribute for the Negro: being a Vindication of the Moral Intellectual, and Religious Capabilities of the Coloured Portion of Mankind Manchester: William Irwin, 1848. First Edition. Leather. Very Good. First Edition. Leather. 8vo - over 7Â¾" - 9Â¾" tall. Deluxe binding with two extra (twelve total) full-page engravings with tissue-guards. xxv, 564 pp plus 2 pages of advertisements. Black morocco with gilt decorations and lettering. All edges gilt. Text printed within an engraved border. Expertly rebacked with original spine laid down. Corners strengthened. Refreshed endpapers. Edges of first and last two leaves archivally repaired. An important anti-slavery work that argues for the intellectual capabilities of blacks. Includes excerpts from works by people of African descent combined with a collection of short biographical sketches and portraits.

Rosser, S.F.:THE U.S.S. COLUMBUS AND VINCENNES IN JAPAN. [with:] DEPARTURE OF THE U.S.S. COLUMBUS AND VINCENNES FROM JEDDO BAY, JULY 29th, 1846 Philadelphia: Wagner & McGuigan, Lithographers, [1848].. Two folio lithographs, each 17 x 21 1/2 inches, matted to 22 x 26 inches. First lithograph with several minor neatly repaired tears; expertly backed with heavier paper. Second lithograph with some very minor wear and soiling. Very good. This extremely rare pair of lithographs is one of the very few printed records of the first official American expedition to Japan, the diplomatic mission of Commodore James Biddle which attempted to establish formal relations between the United States and Japan in 1846. Although overshadowed by the famous and successful mission of Commodore Matthew Perry seven years later, the Biddle expedition deserves far greater fame. It was, in fact, the first official contact between America and Japan, and certainly a necessary precursor to Perry&#39;s breakthrough of 1853. This graphic representation of the events of the visit, with the extensive textual gloss accompanying each plate, given the dearth of written accounts by the key figures, is the most important published record of the Biddle expedition. The prints depict Biddle&#39;s ships, the Columbus and the Vincennes, in Tokyo Bay during Biddle&#39;s visit of July 20 to 29, 1846. Commodore James Biddle, a distinguished naval career officer and scion of a noted Philadelphia family, served his country in a diplomatic capacity on various occasions. Because of this, he was a reasonable choice in 1845 to head a mission to exchange ratifications of the first treaty between the United States and China, after which he was to attempt to negotiate a treaty with Japan. Biddle sailed from New York in June 1845, concluding the treaty with China early in 1846 and cruising along the Chinese coast throughout that spring. In early July, Biddle proceeded to the next part of his mission, sailing for Japan on the 7th. Rather than sail for the open port of Nagasaki, he decided to make directly for Yeddo (modern-day Tokyo), arriving there on July 20, mindful of his instructions to "ascertain if the ports of Japan are accessible," but "not in such a manner as to excite a hostile feeling or a distrust of the Government of the United States." Biddle&#39;s ships moved up Tokyo Bay on July 21, 1846, but were stopped by numerous small vessels carrying armed soldiers. His ships remained at anchor about fifteen miles below Tokyo for the duration of their visit. After an initial confrontation in which Japanese officials demanded that the Americans surrender their weapons, peaceful relations were established and numerous Japanese visited the ships, bringing many supplies as gifts. The first of the lithographs depicts the American warships at anchor, surrounded by many smaller Japanese vessels. Biddle continued negotiations to be received on shore, without success. Finally it was arranged that he would present an address to suitable Japanese officials on board a Japanese vessel, and he arrived in full uniform for the occasion. However, upon boarding the boat, the Commodore was deliberately knocked over by a common sailor. The Japanese officials professed to be mortified, and Biddle accepted their apology without insisting on harsh punishment for the offender. Subsequently there was much debate over whether Biddle had helped or hurt the American position by losing face or being magnanimous, depending on one&#39;s point of view, and this dialectic is still pursued by historians today. In any case, much of Commodore Perry&#39;s behavior in Japan seven years later was designed to avoid such an incident. Feeling that he had carried out his instructions as far as they could be pursued, Biddle accepted from his reluctant hosts both supplies and a tow out to sea to catch the wind. For their part, the Japanese were happy to aid him in departing. A small fleet of rowboats towed the American warships from their anchorage, and this scene is the subject of the second lithograph. After the departure on July 19, Biddle made for Hawaii, where he learned of the outbreak of the Mexican War. As a result, instead of heading home, the Commodore took his warships to the west coast of America to support the conquest of California, and spent the next year there. Only in March 1848 did Biddle finally arrive back in Norfolk, Virginia. Biddle arrived home in Philadelphia in April 1848, and died there on October 1. Since both of these prints bear a dedication from the artist, S.F. Rosser, to Commodore Biddle as if he were alive, it seems certain that they were produced during the six months of peaceful retirement the old sailor enjoyed before his death. Rosser, evidently a Philadelphia lithographic artist, credits his lithographs to be based on "Sketches by John Eastley," presumably a member of the expedition; of course, these probably arrived in town with Biddle. The printing was executed by the well-known firm of Wagner & McGuigan. An indication that the prints may have been hastily struck is the blank spaces left where the longitude and latitude of Tokyo were to be filled in. A small print run or limited interest must account for the extreme rarity of the prints today. We can locate sets only at the U.S. Naval Academy and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The Biddle mission to Japan paved the way for the later successful expedition of Perry, and the latter&#39;s famous "Opening of Japan" must be seen in the context of the 1846 expedition. Perry came not as an isolated phenomenon, but part of an escalating American pressure campaign which was begun by Biddle. These prints are the most striking artifact of the true beginning of the Japanese-American relationship. A truly extraordinary pair of lithographs, utterly unknown to most experts in the field, and of the greatest rarity. PETERS, AMERICA ON STONE, p.395. David F. Long, SAILOR- DIPLOMAT, A BIOGRAPHY OF COMMODORE JAMES BIDDLE, 1783-1848 (Boston, 1983), pp.185-238. Charles Oscar Paullin, AMERICAN VOYAGES TO THE ORIENT (Annapolis, 1971), pp.107-13. Nicholas Wainwright, "Commodore James Biddle and his Sketch-Book" in PENNSYLVANIA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY XC (1966), pp.3- 92. Merrill L. Bartlett, "Commodore James Biddle and the First American Naval Mission to Japan, 1845-1846" in THE AMERICAN NEPTUNE XLI (1981), pp.25-35. Stephen B. Luce, "Commodore Biddle&#39;s Visit to Japan in 1846" in PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL INSTITUTE XXXI (1905), pp.555-63. Richard A. Von Doenhoff, "Biddle, Perry, and Japan" in PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES NAVAL INSTITUTE XCII (1966), pp.78-87.

Bronte, EmilyWuthering Heights New York: Harper and Brothers, 1848. 288 pp. First American Edition, with publisher's misattribution on the title page "by the Author of Jane Eyre." Previous owner corrected the mistake in pen. Later binding, with marbled boards and half leather, rather worn with a slight lean to spine. The binding job appears a bit shoddy, with some exposed super. Missing front and rear end papers, which may have been used as the paste downs. Title page is torn and creased, missing a piece at the top, and with an association stamp. Inscription on front paste down, and a doodle or two in pencil and pen. Heavy foxing to end papers and from about pages 64-84, and more moderate elsewhere. Overall, a good copy with wear commensurate with age.

COLTON, CalvinPublic Economy for the United States Tarrif as Essential to Secure FreedomCOLTON, Calvin. Public Economy for the United States. New York: A.S. Barnes & Co., 1848.First edition. With the inscription \"Hon. J. Colamer with Respects of the Author\" to the front free endpaper. J. Colamer was a Senator from Virginia. Large octavo. [7] 8-536 pp. Publisher\'s brown cloth gilt spine lettering. Some light foxing throughout. A near fine copy.Born in Longmeadow, Massachussets, Colton was ordained in 1816 and worked as a pastor in western New York. He later became a professor of political economy at Trinity College, Connecticut. He was a strong advocate for the protection of home industries and most of his writings reflect that. Public Economy for the United States is his most extensive work. Colton said he preferred \'public economy\' over \'political economy\' because the word \'political\' had been abused. Political economy is \"the application of knowledge derived from experience to a given position, to given interests, and to given institutions of an independant state or nation for the increase of public and private wealth. Freedom is a thing of \'commercial value\' and the parts of the world most free require protection against those less so because the sole object of protection is to maintain and fortify freedom. Protection as opposed to Free Trade thus accords with the principles of the American Revolution\" (Dorfman II, 778). Kress C.7332.HBS 66814.$2,500

Rosser, S.F.:THE U.S.S. COLUMBUS AND VINCENNES IN JAPAN. [with:] DEPARTURE OF THE U.S.S. COLUMBUS AND VINCENNES FROM JEDDO BAY, JULY 29th, 1846. Philadelphia: Wagner & McGuigan, Lithographers, [1848]. - Two folio lithographs, each 17 x 21 1/2 inches, matted to 22 x 26 inches. First lithograph with several minor neatly repaired tears; expertly backed with heavier paper. Second lithograph with some very minor wear and soiling. Very good. This extremely rare pair of lithographs is one of the very few printed records of the first official American expedition to Japan, the diplomatic mission of Commodore James Biddle which attempted to establish formal relations between the United States and Japan in 1846. Although overshadowed by the famous and successful mission of Commodore Matthew Perry seven years later, the Biddle expedition deserves far greater fame. It was, in fact, the first official contact between America and Japan, and certainly a necessary precursor to Perry's breakthrough of 1853. This graphic representation of the events of the visit, with the extensive textual gloss accompanying each plate, given the dearth of written accounts by the key figures, is the most important published record of the Biddle expedition. The prints depict Biddle's ships, the Columbus and the Vincennes, in Tokyo Bay during Biddle's visit of July 20 to 29, 1846. Commodore James Biddle, a distinguished naval career officer and scion of a noted Philadelphia family, served his country in a diplomatic capacity on various occasions. Because of this, he was a reasonable choice in 1845 to head a mission to exchange ratifications of the first treaty between the United States and China, after which he was to attempt to negotiate a treaty with Japan. Biddle sailed from New York in June 1845, concluding the treaty with China early in 1846 and cruising along the Chinese coast throughout that spring. In early July, Biddle proceeded to the next part of his mission, sailing for Japan on the 7th. Rather than sail for the open port of Nagasaki, he decided to make directly for Yeddo (modern-day Tokyo), arriving there on July 20, mindful of his instructions to "ascertain if the ports of Japan are accessible," but "not in such a manner as to excite a hostile feeling or a distrust of the Government of the United States." Biddle's ships moved up Tokyo Bay on July 21, 1846, but were stopped by numerous small vessels carrying armed soldiers. His ships remained at anchor about fifteen miles below Tokyo for the duration of their visit. After an initial confrontation in which Japanese officials demanded that the Americans surrender their weapons, peaceful relations were established and numerous Japanese visited the ships, bringing many supplies as gifts. The first of the lithographs depicts the American warships at anchor, surrounded by many smaller Japanese vessels. Biddle continued negotiations to be received on shore, without success. Finally it was arranged that he would present an address to suitable Japanese officials on board a Japanese vessel, and he arrived in full uniform for the occasion. However, upon boarding the boat, the Commodore was deliberately knocked over by a common sailor. The Japanese officials professed to be mortified, and Biddle accepted their apology without insisting on harsh punishment for the offender. Subsequently there was much debate over whether Biddle had helped or hurt the American position by losing face or being magnanimous, depending on one's point of view, and this dialectic is still pursued by historians today. In any case, much of Commodore Perry's behavior in Japan seven years later was designed to avoid such an incident. Feeling that he had carried out his instructions as far as they could be pursued, Biddle accepted from his reluctant hosts both supplies and a tow out to sea to catch the wind. For their part, the Japanese were happy to aid him in departing. A small fleet of rowboats towed the American warships from their anchorage, and this scene is the subject of the second lithograph. After the departure on July 19, Biddle made for Hawaii, where he learned of the outbreak of the Mexican War. As a result, instead of heading h

Dickens, CharlesDombey and Son Bradbury & Evans 1848 - First edition in book form; early issue. Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail and for Exploration, by Charles Dickens and with illustrations by H.K. Brownie. 1848 stated on the title page. Quarter leather binding with marbled paper covered boards and gilt pinstripe detailing. Decorative gilt detailing on spine. A very handsome book. Moderate edgewear and rubbing. Slight tanning of the pages. Very good condition. Comes housed in a custom slipcase. [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]

Havell, Robert JrView of West Point, United States Military Academy.from Fort Putnam London: Ackermann & Co., 1848. A STUNNING VIEW OF THE HUDSON RIVER BY ONE OF THE GREAT AQUATINT ENGRAVERS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY Aquatint with original hand color Framed size: 32" x 40" Robert Havell, Jr.&#39;s (1793-1878) lush and vibrant View of West Point. was one of the most well-known aquatint engravings of the latter nineteenth century. Indeed, it presents a spectacular view of the Hudson River Valley as crafted by one of the era&#39;s master landscape painters and engravers. . Book.

RICHARDSON, JamesTravels in the Great Sahara Desert of Sahara, in the Years of 1845 and 1846 London: Richard Bentley,, 1848. Containing a Narrative of Personal Adventures, during a Tour of Nine Months throught the Desert, amongst the Touaricks and other Tribes of Saharan People; Including a Description of the Oases and Cities of Ghat, Ghadames, and Mourzuk. 2 volumes, octavo (221 x 137 mm). Original green morocco-grain cloth, titles to spines gilt, decorative frames to boards in blind, Glasgow coat of arms gilt-stamped to front boards, pale yellow endpapers. Engraved frontispieces, 24 woodcuts in text, and one engraved folding map. Glasgow High School prize copy with bookplates to front pastedowns. Spines sunned, corners and spine ends bumped, inner hinges of Volume II cracked but holding firm, short closed tear to folding map stub. A very good set. First edition of this account of James Richardson&#39;s (1806&#150;1851) first expedition to Africa. Richardson was an English explorer and ardent anti-slavery campaigner; he considered the slave trade to be "the most gigantic system of wickedness that world has ever seen" (Wright, Libya, Chad and the Central Sahara, p. 68). In 1845, Richardson joined a Sahara-bound expedition leaving Tripoli. With it, he travelled to "Ghadames, became the first European to visit Ghat, and, after a nine-month long and arduous journey through Fezzan, arrived safely back in Tripoli" (Embacher, cataloguer&#39;s translation). His account includes descriptions of the major cities in the Fezzan region, trade routes and oases, as well as the culture, religion, and traditions of the Tuaregs. Richardson also frequently refers to the trans-Saharan slave trade and the position of slaves in local Tuareg communities, a subject he had already discussed in his "Report on the Slave-Trade of the Great Desert", written for the Anti-Slavery Reporter and Aborigines&#39; Friend upon his return to London in 1846. Upon publication, The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society wrote of Richardson&#39;s Travels: "These volumes are useful contributions to our knowledge of the interior of the imperfectly known regions of Northern Africa; and they describe some hundreds of miles of desert routes over which no Europeans had previously passed, as well as several of the cities of the Desert, of which we had not before received accounts from European visitors" (JRGS, vol. 18, p. lix).

THALBERG, Sigismond 1812-1871Autograph musical quotation signed "S. Thalberg." 4 bars in 2/4 dated London, May 20, 1848. Notated in ink on a slip of music manuscript paper with decorative border (London, J. & F. Harwood) 82 x 204 mm., cut down from a larger sheet. &#11;&#11;Slightly worn; rust stains from early paper clip just touching notation; small tear at blank upper margin not affecting notation; remains of former mount to two edges of verso. . "Together with Liszt, Thalberg must be ranked as the greatest virtuoso pianist of the mid-19th century..." Robert WangermÃ¨e in Grove online

Jane AustenNorthanger Abbey and Persuasion Richard Bentley, London 1848 - A very good copy in the original Bentley Standard Novels decorative cloth binding. The two novels were reprinted in one volume by Bentley as part of his Standard Novels series in 1833. This is an early reissue from that series, printed in 1848, but retaining the engraved frontispiece from the original 1833 version. With black and white frontispiece by Pickering, title page for Northanger Abbey dated 1848, text, title page for Persuasion and text with continuous page numbering. The original cloth binding with gilt decoration to spine and blind stamped decoration on the boards is in very good condition. It has been expertly rebacked, retaining the whole of the original spine, and is sound and clean, with a little bumping to board corners. The endpapers list novels in the Standard Novels and Romances series. There is an ink signature from 1887 to the reverse of the fep. The contents are sound and clean with just the occasional spot and light brown toning to the pages. A very nice copy. [Attributes: Hard Cover]

California gold; Missouri Compromise] Gilman, E.Map of the United States, published to accompany Polk's announcement of discovery of gold in California, and showing territories free and slave according to Missouri Compromise]. Wendell and Van Benthuysen,, Washington DC: 1848 - A scarce and little known important map published to accompany President James Polk's message to Congress officially announcing the discovery of gold in California (Second Session of the 13th Congress). Also showing free and slave states, with table at the right side of the map tallying the square miles and acreage of free versus slave states. Another table at left side of map listing the territories at the time, including Territory of upper California, and showing the total acreage of these territories both above and below the Parallel of 36°30' north Latitude. This is the line of the Missouri Compromise, used to divide the prospective slave and free states west of the Mississippi River, with the exception of Missouri, which is mostly north of this parallel. E. Gilman, Draftsman, P.S. Duval's Steam Lith. Press, Philadelphia in the lower left and right margins of the map. California colored in pink, with San Francisco shown as St. Francisco; Sutter's Fort shown with Nueva Helvetia to the south of it. Great Salt Lake shown, but no city at this time. With a key at the top of the map titled "Explanations" showing the meaning of the various outlined areas, which are lands acquired according to various treaties with Spain, France and Mexico. Image size: 33 1/2 x 14". Paper size: 37 1/2 x 17". Few short tears right margin, o/w very good. Transmississippi West 561.

CATLIN, George (1796-1872).Catlin's Notes of Eight Years' Travels and Residence in Europe, with his North American Indian Collection New-York: Burgess, Stringer & Co., 1848. - 2 volumes. 8vo., (8 7/8 x 5 ¾ inches). Half titles (very occasional spotting). Fine lithographed frontispiece in volume I (a bit loose); 23 lithographed plates. Original publisher's brown cloth, both covers blind-ruled, the smooth spine blind-ruled in five compartments, gilt-lettered in two; volume II mostly unopened (head and foot of spines chipped). Provenance: Contemporary manuscript ownership inscription of Jonathan S. Lawrence to front pastedown of volume I, dated March 8, 1861; presented to Samuel Lawrence Jr. on front pastedown in volume II. First American edition, first published in London the same year. A prospectus for Catlin's Indian Gallery, with which he toured America and London, desperately trying to find a buyer for the collection: "Artists before him had painted Indian dignitaries visiting in Washington, D.C., or had portrayed them in council with American officials in the field. Catlin's claim to originality turned on the nature and extent of his coverage. Besides more than 300 portraits of men and women from some fifty tribes, he displayed 200 paintings of Indians on their own turf, going about their everyday activities. His catalogs and advertising emphasized these "beautiful Landscapes of the Prairies of the 'Far West' - Views of Indian villages - Dances, Sports and Amusements" (New York Morning Herald, 27 Nov. 1837). He rightfully insisted that he was the first artist to offer the world a representative picture of Indian life based on personal observation. Though he described his paintings in his 1837 catalog as "rather as fac similes of what he has seen, than as finished works of art" (p. 36), his best portraits (Black Hawk, Buffalo Bull, Red Bear, Mint, Mountain of Rocks, Sky-se-ro-ka, Osceola, and Little Wolf, for example) show people, not romantic stereotypes, and the ethnographic value of his work has only appreciated with the passage of time. "Catlin formed his Indian Gallery without government patronage, but he turned to Congress in May 1838 confident it would reward his enterprise by purchasing his collection. Frustrated in this hope, he nevertheless became a regular supplicant, petitioning Congress with an urgency that mounted with his debts. Certain he would find a more receptive audience in Europe, he moved to England in November 1839. After touring his gallery throughout Great Britain, he took his collection in April 1845 to Paris, where he was entertained by King Louis-Philippe. But fame never translated into fortune for Catlin, and in 1848, fleeing ahead of a revolution that swept Louis-Philippe off the throne, he returned to London with his three daughters; his wife and only son had died during his stay in France. His gallery was no longer a novelty in England, and though a book recounting his experiences abroad (Notes of Eight Years' Travels and Residence in Europe, with His North American Indian Collection [1848]), lectures, and American emigration schemes kept his name before the British public, Catlin continued to slide toward financial ruin" (Brian W. Dippie for DNB). For more information about this book, or a warm welcome to see it and other books in our library at 72nd Street, NYC, please contact Megan Scauri, M.A., M.L.S., in the Rare Book Department. Bookseller Inventory #72MMS113. [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]

Titmarsh, M. A., [pseud. William Makepeace Thackeray]Our Street. Second Edition London: Chapman and Hall, 1848. Small 4to, (7 1/4 x 5 1/2 ins.), (2), 54, (1, ads.)pp. With a frontispiece, illustrated title-page, and 14 color plates. Full crushed blue morocco extra, backstrip richly gilt, gilt edges, original printed wrappers bound in. A fine copy. Second edition of this attractive little book, in a luxurious binding. With a 1p. ALS from Thackeray to [Mark] Lemon: "My dear Lemon: If I made an article with scarcely any writing simply illustrative of the progress of Influenza among the contributors would it be sufft: or do you want a travel in London too? I&#39;m awfully pressed with Our Street but I&#39;ll do both cheerfully if required by my chief. Yours til 5. WMT." This letter must be c. 1847 just before "Our Street" came out. Mark Lemon was the editor of Punch and is often said to have been the "face" of John Bull.

THACKERAY, Willam Makepeace [1811-1863]Vanity Fair. A Novel without a Hero. With Illustrations on Steel and Wood by the Author London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848., 1848. First Edition, First Issue of the text with &#39;Rustic&#39; Vanity Fair heading to Chapter One, and &#39;Mr.Pitt&#39; for Sir Pitt&#39; p.453, and with the later suppressed Marquis of Steyne woodcut on p.336. Bound by Sotheran and Co in half red morocco with full gilt backs, cloth sides, marbled edges and endpapers. Light, gentle wear and marking to covers, internally clean with particularly bright plates. The author&#39;s defining novel; the improving tale of Becky Sharp. Listed in BBC&#39;s Big Read (200 Best Novels) [2003]

KunimasaKumagai jin&#39;ya no dan, Kumagai&#39;s Battle-camp This work is a beautiful yakusha-e (kabuki actors&#39; print) triptych. The instant print groups five actors on a total of three sheets. Artist: Utagawa (Baido) Kunimasa IV (1848-1920). Title: Kumagai jin&#39;ya no dan, Kumagai&#39;s battle-camp. Publ.: Not deciphered but name/address of artist and of publisher believed listed to left of toshidama seal in left-hand triptych. Date: Meiji (Believed to be 1880s. After 1889 he is not known to have signed Baido Kunimasa, as here). Almost certainly an early pull of the first edition. Size: (HxW) 14.6" x 9.8" (each of 3 pieces) of triptych. Oban tate-e. Signature: Baido Kunimasa hitsu, with toshidama seal. Condition: Near Fine impression and state. No creasing observed. Immensely clean, front and back, save for occasional very small color blotches, quite minor. Sharp, occasionally broken key block lines and with well-registered colors. Vibrant aniline dye colors, slight to moderate color transfer. As to color choices, a riot of color, with greens, reds, bright pink, light yellow, blues, purple, and black dominating. Untrimmed top and left margins. Very little soiling. Unbacked. Over all a Very Good Plus triptych. Comments: From the play Ichi-no tani futaba gunki, The Chronicle of the Battle of Ichi-no Tani, between the Heiki (Taira) and Genji (Minamoto). Specifically, the final scene of Act III, San no kiri. Depicted, from left to right: Sagami, Atsumori, Kumagai Naozane, Midaroku, and Yoshitsune. Actors portraying these characters may have been: Kataoka Gado III (Midaroku); Ichikawa Kuzo III (Kumagai); Bando Kakitsu I (Atsumori); Ichikawa Gonjuro (Yoshitsune). Actors striking vivid mie or poses. Compare the present triptych with a triptych print by Kunichika of 1879 in the Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints depicting a scene from the same play. "Originally born Takenouchi Hidehisa, the artist [Kunimasa IV] used multiple go (artist names) during his career including Baido Hosai, Baido Kunimasa, Kochoro, Kunimasa IV, Kunisada III and Toyokuni V. Early in his career he used the go Kunimasa IV and Baido Hosai. In 1889 he succeeded as head of the Utagawa line and took the go Kunisada III. Later in his career he claimed the title Toyokuni IV, but that go was already taken (a fact that he refused to recognize), so he is referred to as Toyokuni V. He studied under Toyokuni III at age 11 and then under Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1865), Kunisada II and Tokokuni III. He specialized in Meiji actor prints and along with Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) is considered by some as the best of the yakusha-e artists.". Signed by Illustrator. Presumed First Edition. Very Good Plus. Illus. by Kunimasa. Folio - over 12" - 15" tall.

Catlin, George:ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND CONDITION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS WITH LETTERS AND NOTES WRITTEN DURING EIGHT YEARS OF TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE AMONG THE WILDEST AND MOST REMARKABLE TRIBES NOW EXISTING London: Henry Bohn, 1848.. Two volumes. viii,264; viii,266pp. plus 313 handcolored etchings on 180 plates, including three maps (one folding). Large, thick octavo. Contemporary three-quarter red morocco and marbled boards, spines gilt. Extremities lightly worn. Bookplates on front pastedown. Minor scattered foxing and soiling; some occasional light offsetting. Very good. A later edition of Catlin&#39;s LETTERS AND NOTES..., styled "7th edition" on the titlepage. The London publisher, Henry Bohn, took over publication in 1845 and altered the title to that given above. What is important in this copy is the colored plates. According to Sabin (who knew Bohn well, personally, and was certainly in a position to know), "Mr. Bohn had twelve or more copies colored after the fancy of the artist who did the work, but tolerably well. Such copies are worth $60 a set." In fact, a set brought $24 at the Field sale in 1875. By comparison, a copy of the ...INDIAN PORTFOLIO... sold for only $1.50. Howes states that various editions published by Bohn appear with the plates colored. It would seem likely that Sabin is correct, and only about a dozen were produced. The plates themselves are clean, fresh, and very handsomely colored. It is impossible to identify the colorist, but it was quite possibly was one of the Catlin copyists working in England at that time, John Cullum or Rosa Bonhuer. The plates illustrate scenes of Indian life in the West, or are portraits of individual Indians. The book was and is one of the most widely circulated works on American Indians written in the 19th century, and the illustrations so beautifully presented herein remain the most important body of illustrative material for wild Indian life in the American West. FIELD 260. HOWES C241. McCRACKEN 8K. CLARK III:141. SABIN 11537. STREETER SALE 4277 (1866 ed). PILLING, PROOF-SHEETS 685. WAGNER-CAMP 84:12.

Emory, W. HNotes of a Military Reconnoissance from Fort Leavenworth, in Missouri, to San Diego, in California, Including Parts of the Arkansas, Del Norte, and Gila Rivers Washington, D.C.: Wendell and Van Benthuysen, Printers, 1848. Hardcover. Fair. 8vo - over 7? - 9?" tall. This report became an important text for westward bound explorers. Fully collated, Senate edition. All maps present. Missing plate "Fire Place Rock," includes extra plate "View of Mt. Graham." Maps include: Sketch of the Actions Fought at San Pasqual in Upper California between the Americans and Mexicans Dec. 6th & 7th. 1846; Sketch of the Passage of the Rio San Gabriel Upper California by the Americans, Discomfiting the Opposing Mexican Forces January 8th. 1847; Sketch of the Battle of Los Angeles Upper California Fought between the Americans and Mexicans Jany. 9th. 1847; and Military Reconnaissance of the Arkansas, Rio del Norte and Rio Gila, by W. H. Emory, Lieut. Top. Engrs. Assisted from Fort Leavenworth to Santa Fe, by Lieuts. J. W. Abert and W. G. Peck. And from Santa Fe to San Diego on the Pacific, by Lieut W. H. Warner and Mr. Norman Bestor, Made in 1846-7, with the Advance Guard of the Army of the West, Under Command of Brig. Gen. Stephn. W. Kearny. Constructed under the Orders of Col. J. J. Abert. Ch. Corps Top. Engrs. 1847. This last map, not present in all copies, is mounted on linen in three sections, individually rolled. Dark brown cloth binding is worn on edges, rear board is becoming detached. Part of map pocket missing at rear. Previous owner name and bookplate on front endpaper. Wagner-Camp 148:2.

STEPHENS, JohnThe Royal South Australian Almanack and General Directory for 1848 J. Stephens, Adelaide 1848 - Duodecimo, 126 (last blank), xxiv, xvi (advertisements), title cropped at top and bottom edges, otherwise an excellent copy in original patterned green cloth with printed paper label (rubbed) on front board. With George McEwin's "Horticultural and Botanical Sketch of the Colony" (pp. 25-30), the extensive "Mines and Mining Companies in South Australia" (pp. 40-60), and a note on the "Boundary Line of the Province" (pp. 114-117). [Attributes: Hard Cover]